Persuasive Design: An Information-Systems Design-Theory Approach to Persuade Employment-Seeking Behavior Among People With Disabilities.

摘要

People with disabilities face a number of societal challenges that influence this vulnerable population to be less interested and motivated to pursue working. According to researchers, persuasive technologies are able to motivate intended users to change a targeted behavior. This study included the design, development, and evaluation of an information technology (IT) artifact aimed at motivating and persuading people with disabilities in the State of Hawaii to engage in employment-seeking behavior. The domain of workforce development provided an illustrative context to develop the IT artifact in accordance with an information systems design theory (ISDT) approach, while also testing and confirming a proposed persuasive technologies design and evaluation framework, the persuasive system design (PSD) framework model. This mixed methods three phase study included individual and group interviews (n = 22), and a survey (n = 76). In terms of general processes and challenges relative to workforce development for people with disabilities, the findings revealed perceived barriers about working, one of which is the fear of losing federal and state benefits they are receiving. Specifically related to the IT artifact, findings revealed that features and functionalities were effectively persuasive, and that the artifact does have the potential to motivate and persuade people with disabilities to start pursuing work opportunities. Also, the developed artifact has the potential to streamline benefit counseling work processes. This study highlighted the strengths and shortcomings of the applied PSD framework model, which provided an opportunity to develop an integrated "ISDT-Persuasive" framework available to future design science researchers interested in developing persuasive IT artifacts.